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Three Card Poker is the most popular table game added at casinos worldwide in the last twenty years. Its inventor, Englishman Derek Webb, toiled for years as a professional poker player and was convinced that a table game could capture the public’s interest in poker, even if it didn’t use the standard five-card hand.
The simplicity of the game may have been a great selling point when Webb first came to the US trying to get a casino or two to sign-on for a field trial, but he ingratiated himself with the casino brass by telling them that he would stay on property, train their dealers to deal his new game, and also train the first influx of new players on the game.
That meet-and-greet he did with the players was probably the most important aspect of getting them to try the game, but the fun of winning at Three Card Poker is what really sells the game! The first time I met Derek Webb was at the Atlantis casino in Reno, where the game had just been introduced to players in Nevada. After reading the easy rules I understood why players would be attracted; the game was easy to play, included an even-money payoff that happened regularly, and also had a big payoff for big hands.
To stabilize the game and give the house its 3.61% edge, the house pays the Ante wager any time the player’s hand is higher than the dealer’s hand. However, to qualify and also have action on the Play bet, the dealer must have a hand of at least Queen-high. If not, the Play wager is a push and no chips are exchanged. In addition, the player must always wager on the Play spot or fold their hand and lose their original Ante wager!
To keep the game exciting, the Ante payoff is always 1 to 1, or even money, but a special bonus is paid on certain hands:
- Straight Flush – 5 to 1
- Three of a Kind – 4 to 1
- Straight – 1 to 1
That’s all there is to the Ante and Play wagers. To make the game more exciting, players may also wager on the Pair Plus, where
payoffs are as high as 40 to 1.
Pair Plus Payoffs
- One Pair – 1 to 1
- Flush – 4 to 1
- Straight – 6 to 1
- 3 of a Kind – 30 to 1
- Straight Flush – 40 to 1
The Pair Plush wager does make the game more exciting, but I learned that you have to be patient waiting for payoffs. The house edge is higher, at 7.28%, but if you play both the Ante and Pair Plus, the house overall edge on your total wagers is closer to 5.45% which is about what a double-zero roulette wheel offers, and the game is leisurely, so you won’t get nearly as many hands per hour as blackjack.
Mini-Royal
In 2007, some casinos began offering a Mini-Royal bonus, which is a 50-1 payoff for any Ace-King-Queen suited hand. With the higher payout the house edge falls, but the option is only available at a few casinos: the Borgata in Atlantic City, Casino Arizona in Arizona, Galewind Internet Casinos, and the Wynn in Las Vegas.
Progressive
In 2009, a progressive jackpot was also added to the game. This optional feature is a $1 wager that wins a further bonus on any three of a kind, a straight flush, a Mini-Royal, or the progressive amount on a Mini-Royal in spades.
Prime
In 2010, a further feature was added to some Three Card Poker games called Prime, which is another wager that is won if the players three cards are all one color (pays 3 to 1) or if the player’s and the dealer’s cards are all one color (pays 4 to 1).
6 Card Bonus
As the game continues to evolve, another wager is also available at some casinos on the final outcome of the combined hand of the player and dealer. This wager pays on the best 5-card hand that can be made, from three-of-a-kind to a Royal Flush, and may even include a 6-card Super Royal payoff of 200,000 to 1. However, this bet starts with a house edge of just over 8% and runs to nearly 19%, depending on the payout chart used by the casino. Play at your own risk!
The simple strategy for playing Three Card Poker is to play just the Ante and Play wagers and you’ll experience the smallest house edge. Make the Play wager when you hold a hand of Queen-6-4 or higher, fold your hand when you don’t.If you want more action, play the Pair Plus for the same amount as your Ante bet. The Pair Plus won’t pay out as often, but when you hit a hand it will make up for a lot of bad hands. The other wagers like the Progressive, Prime and 6-card bonus will all increase your total bet and the total house edge.
Keep in mind that the more you bet and the higher the edge, the more it costs per hand to enjoy your casino gaming!
3 Card Video Poker
What is a 3 Card Video Poker?
The 3 Card Video Poker is a mixture of two games, presenting the player with a unique chance of playing against the machine and trying to form the best possible combination of cards on one side and placing a separate wager on an odd that a hand of Pair or better will be dealt, on the other.
3 Card Video Poker Rules
The rules are quite simple and both the player and the “house” will receive 3 cards each. The players will have three betting options in front of them – Ante, Play and Pair Plus. Once the bet is placed on Ante, the players will proceed by either folding or staying in the game, which will of course depend on their hand.
Folding means that the Ante wager is lost, whereas placing a new bet on the Play betting area will keep the players in the game. The amount of the bet is the same as the original, Ante bet, and the Dealer must now draw a Queen or a higher ranked card to stay in the game. If the Dealer is not able to compete, the players will take the winnings on Ante and get the Play bet back.
If the Dealer happens to draw the Queen and thus forming a combination of cards which will outweigh the player’s hand, both the Ante and the Play bets will be lost. In some rare cases, a Tie may occur – when that happens, the player’s hand will always outweigh the Dealer’s.
The ranking of hands and payouts in 3 Card Video Poker
Payout will of course depend on how the hand is ranked, as shown below:
HandPair Plus Bet Payout
Straight Flush 40:1
Three of a Kind 30:1
Straight 6:1
Flush 4:1
Pair 1:1
Three Card Poker Free Game
Ante Bonus Payout
Straight Flush 5:1
Three of a Kind 4:1
3 Card Poker Free Games
Straight 1:1
The Pair Plus is completely independent from other bets and the players are paid as soon as they land the necessary combination. The same will happen with the Ante Bonus payout – the player will receive the payout awarded for Straight, Three of a Kind or Straight Flush even if the Dealer’s hand is higher.
Where to play 3 Card Video Poker?
Pretty much along the entire Strip, but most people would recommend Caesars Palace and Downtown Vegas casinos, since the limits are much more favourable there.
Play 3 Card Poker Online
If you are looking for a more challenging alternative, make sure to visit Golden Nugget and for those of you who are on a budget, online casino with Video Poker games are the best possible option as they offer variants with a wide range of betting limits, suitable for every pocket.